My weekend is better for having stumbled across this divine tale. Ms Tilney has successfully set Austen’s characters in the Roaring 20s. The plot begins with Austen’s original score, but riffs on those elements like the best of Dixieland jazz. Thus we meet a LCdB who has reached new depths of despicable and a complex Charles Bingley. (No Thank You, Mr Darcy was originally published under the pen-name, Lucy Tilney.)

***

This laugh-out-loud version of Pride and Prejudice captured my attention from the get-go. I mean, nicknaming William Collins “Fatty Willikins” is BRILLIANT; I’m laughing out loud as I write this… The author adds some fascinating new characters to the tale, such as the mysterious Henrietta Smith, and adds some marvelous twists to familiar characters like Lady Catherine. I can’t wait to read the author’s next offering…

***

It’s embarrassing how many p&p variations I’ve read, but this is definitely one of the best. It gets an A for plot, inventiveness, character development, clever inclusion of history and humor.